Harper Huddle

Cycling soon!
April 11th 8lbs 3oz
Life is changing, but hopefully I'll be more focused on my training with the limited amount of time I have.

Long overdue cyclocross update

Race #3 in the series at Boone was kind of a bust. It was a fun course and had a great spectator section.
unfortunately I was lapped about 100 ft from the finish.

Race #4 was in Salisbury(not the steak), and was a little better. I didn't get lapped but I was at the back of the pack. It was a little bit technical which was fun.

I missed a few other races because I was busy doing this:

Race #5 was in Statesville.  This was much worse. I'm not listed as DFL, but I didn't see a single person behind me. I made a rookie mistake and lowered my tire pressure just before the start. I had to take it super slow around every corner to avoid rolling a bead; eventually I was lapped on my 2nd lap(the lead's first). Only 4 people in Cat 3 lapped me the others were from the 35+ who started 1 minute before us...small consolation.

NC Cyclocross #1 Southern Pines, NC

I never thought mountain biking is south Mississippi would have come in handy but it sure did last weekend.

A lot of trails back home are either covered with pine straw, comprised mostly of sand, or both.

The back half of the race course included 50+ft of sand; deep sand.

I watched the cat 4 masters ride through and saw what not to do. 

I flubbed the start, but I think I passed 8 people on the back half.  A few of them around a some sandy turns. dumb luck or skill? 

Sand trap

The rest of the course was flat, wheel sucking grass. Something I need to practice on.

That helmet just looks silly

I was a bit disappointed with the scene. Courtney's first CX race should have been in the midwest. It wasn't a party atmosphere, maybe Boone will be wilder.
23rd out of 33 in my first Cat 3 race; not bad.

First Cross Race

Photo

Kent Baumgardt

Courtney's fall break just so happened to be during the Gun Club CX race. Obviously a trip to Cincy was in order. Courtney and I hit all our favorite restaurants on Friday and Saturday and Sunday I raced while Courtney Studied.
It turns out I am actually Cat 3 in Cross, probably because I'm Cat 1 in MTB. They let me race Cat 4 since it was my first serious CX race. I've done a few on my mountain bike but more for fun/the challenge than anything.  Cross is huge in the Midwest and probably huger with my teammates.
Cross is a lot of fun, it's defiantly the most family/friend centric type of race.  Everyone had their wives/husbands and kids there to cheer them on.  Mountain bike races generally are the same but you only see the racers once a lap, and there aren't breaks between categories.
I placed 23rd out of the cat4/juniors so not bad.
Hopefully I won't be stomped on at my first cat 3.

Bike DNC

They didn't search me, but I just walked around that checkpoint.

Google Headquarters

Abraham Lincoln, not the vampire hunting version. I ran into Piers Morgan too, but no photos.

and then there was this guy...plenty of dead fetus photos to go around.

How to destroy a chamois

The top is the chamois turned inside out. I'm not sure how I ripped it but I did.
The green pads came unglued after <20 a="a" all="all" and="and" around="around" back="back" black="black" br="br" came="came" champ-sys="champ-sys" days="days" didn="didn" floated="floated" folded="folded" give="give" i="i" if="if" inside.="inside." it="it" just="just" last="last" lasts.="lasts." ll="ll" me="me" nbsp="nbsp" new="new" over.="over." pad="pad" pair.="pair." probably="probably" see="see" sew="sew" somehow="somehow" t="t" the="the" together="together" unglued="unglued" week="week">

Finally Gone Pro

with wheel building.

I finally built a wheel and got the logo centered(paying attention helps) when viewed through the valve stem hole.
Of course a white rim with silver spokes and a black hub is pretty hideous, but I already had the hubs spokes and the rim was on sale. The roadies are going to make so much fun of me......